The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-03-03

perfect life that ever appeared upon the
earth is that of the Savior of mankind;
from his life and example, we must get
all of Christian inspiration. He came,
clothed with the Divine attributes, and
appeared upon the earth as man, with
all the capacity for enjoyment, and all the
possibility of human suffering, with which
men were clothed, and with which men
are clothed to-day. Yet through all the
sufferings and indignities that cruel
and thoughtless world could heap upon
him, that life stood forth as resplendant
in its purity and beauty as the MONDAY
sun. Here was the Divine Spirit, housed
in one of the frail tenements of earth.
The inhabitant of the perishable- struc-
ture proceeded to the erection of temple
of the Fathers glory, reaching out from
that local habitation, and turned the
house of earth into lighthouse of glory,
shedding the beauty of the Heavenly
Kingdom throughout the land. And,
when the sin of the world destroyed the
poor, miserable structure of earth, when
the tenement of clay was pierced and bro
ken, and was no longer habitable, the Di-
flut SpIIl t1tClSu lIiSICdu ttilu
holy temple, glorified by the purity of his
life, and lighted up by the beauty of
Heaven.
1t is far beyond the limit of human
achievement for any man to partake of
the Divine character to that extent that
he will entirely overcome the frail side
of the human character. Our characters
upon earth are the houses built by our
own hands. The spiritual light planted
within us is the hearthstone which God
has planted there for his own righteous
purpose with US and upon which the Di-
vine fire is kept burning with varying de-
grees of brilliancy, just as we fan it into
a glorious blaze, or attempt to smother
its brightness. The Creator hath given
US tenements of clay in which to live and
serve him. These we are certainly ex-
pected to glorify and preserve to the hon
or of the name of the builder. He hath
planted within these tenements warmth
and glow from the Divine world which is
sufficient for the comfort and joy of the
whole household. We may bask in the
cheerful rays of this God-given fire, or
torture ourselves with the smouldering
embers- just as we choose. The Lord of
hosts gives us ample opportunity to
choose for ourselves, yet he is anxious to
have us choose with that wisdom which
shall proclaim that our creation has not
been in vain.
Suppose that you are a parent. You
build for your son or your daughter a
beautiful and comfortable house, a fit
place for the dwelling of a righteous soul,
and suppose that one, instead of keeping
and improving that house, should deliber
ately, as though moved by some Satanic
influence, set about the destruction of
that house-by a slow process, it might
be, but certainly. Instead of the beauti-
full exterior, the walls are smeared with
age and sin; the roof becomes leaky, and
the interior uncomfortable; instead of
the warmth and glow that should glad
den the home, the fire is deliberately eX-
tinguished as fast as yon can light it, all
about the beautiful dwelling which love
has prepared, you behold an air of filth,
and distress, and smoke; every approach
to this beautiful home of by-gone days,
attest the general ruin that has taken the
| joy out of the gift of your love- Think
| you that you could consider lightly such
base ingratitude, such willful abuse of
your generosity, and your effort in behalf
of another?
Well, let US see where lies the differ
ence between the material and spiritual
structures. 1t is said that good old
brother who was once gazing upon the
skeleton of specimen of that somewhat
deliberate and meditative animal called
the mule, exclaimed: "Ah, we are fearful
ly and wonderfully made" With certain
notifications as to conditions, and SUBJ
ject of meditation, the old brothers SEN
timent might be adopted by all of US.
| God has certainly made wonderful crea-
| ture, in man. A collection of conflicting
influences and emotions. it may seem to
some, wonderful range of possibili-
| ties. He has erected wonderful struc-
ture for the indwelling of the soul which
he has given US. Some of these dwell
| ings are not overdone in the way of beau
| ty, and we have seen some that might
pass as being comparatively homely, but
still wonderfully made. Suppose that we
should be as slovenly in spiritual house
keeping as some people are in material
| housekeeping. What account could we
render unto the master of the household
when the great payday comes around :?
Friends, when the great landlord shall
come around, it will not be the safe thing
| toepermit him to handle door knob
smeared with grease, or to present him
with chair, the first dusting off of which
for months, still sends up the somewhat
| bracing odor of the dish-rag There is to
be general house-cleaning, and the sloy-
emily house-keeper will at last-though it
may be too late to be benefcial-learn the
beauty and glory of soap-and there is
nothing that possesses the power, as a
cleanser, of the holy spirit.
There will be knock at the door, and
the landlord will come to demand set
tlement Well, what will you say to him
Will you say "here, Lord, thou hast made
this house, l have occupied it, and have
had good time, but have not left the old
thing in as good shape as 1t might have
been, but I know, Lord, that thou will
not destroy thine own property. The
tenement is thine, take it and repair it
up, to thine own TASTE" Will you try a
game of that kind upon One who can by
a word of power destroy world? What
more probable, or at least more righteous,
than that the father should say "well, it
seems that these old tenements erected
by me for the accommo odation of my chill
dren, have been very poor investments;
the renters have not been happy; the ma
terials have been permitted to decay, and
there seems to be but one thing proper to
be done now-to burn thean"
Then will come the beautiful thought
of the text that every house is builded by
some man, but he that built all things is
God. The Divine Father does not con-